PCCI offers pro-life options to expectant mothers

While today marks the 40th anniversary of the monumental Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion in the United States, Newton’s Pregnancy Center of Central Iowa provides a safe harbor for expectant mothers from a pro-life standpoint.

“Our mission is that for any baby that is conceived, to have it maintain life,” PCCI executive director Christine Law said. “Whether that means the mother carrying the child to term and raising it herself or her choosing not to keep it, but to give it up for adoption for people who can’t have kids normally, we’ve got a lot of different stories.”

“We have some moms that choose not to go through the birthing process, but want a child,” she added. “We try and help the mothers that do get pregnant unexpectedly and give them numerous options for how they can keep the child, if they so choose, or get them connected with an adoption agency.”

Among the services that PCCI offers free of charge are pregnancy testing, counseling pertaining to options for expectant mothers, post-adoption counseling, parenting classes and referrals for medical care and similar services.

Over the course of 2012, PCCI served a total of 17 women, providing services from initial pregnancy testing to parenting classes and post-adoption counseling. According to Law, 15 of these 17 mothers carried their babies to term.

“Typically, they will come in for support for parenting classes to know what’s happening to my body, what am I going to expect in delivery or the third trimester, and there’s post-adoption counseling to help them go through that grieving process, even though they know they’ve made the right decision, there’s still a grieving process because they’ve carried that child for nine months,” she added.

PCCI is located at 709 First Ave. W. Suite 1 in Newton and can be reached at 800-395-HELP (4357) or 641-792-3050.

Staff writer Nicole Wiegand may be contacted at (641) 792-3121, ext. 422, or at nwiegand@newtondailynews.com.